Just weeks away from the end of the season and his transfer to Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton offered a honest self-assessment following another tough qualifying session at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Hamilton concluded Friday’s Sprint shootout a disappointing seventh, almost half a second adrift from poleman Lando Norris and five places behind his Mercedes teammate George Russell.
After the session, reflecting on his performance, the downbeat seven-time world champion called it as he saw it.
"I'm definitely not fast anymore," Hamilton said.
In a season marked by inconsistency, Hamilton once again found himself outpaced by Russell, hos closets benchmark. The latter’s flyer in SQ3 was nearly four-tenths faster than Hamilton’s, adding to the growing disparity between the two.
Hamilton has only outqualified Russell six times across all competitive sessions this year and just five times in traditional formats excluding sprints.
The 39-year-old was unequivocal in stating that the issue lies with him, not the car.
"Same as every other qualifying, not that great," he admitted. "I'm just slow and same every weekend. So yeah, car felt relatively decent. No, no issues, and not really much more to say."
The raw admission cuts deep for a driver who holds the all-time record for pole positions and has been synonymous with speed and precision for well over a decade.
While Hamilton has often relied on his racecraft to recover from poor qualifying positions, he acknowledges the challenges that come with starting so far down the order.
"The long run didn't feel too bad, but when you're always back where I am, it makes it very hard to be competing for - well almost impossible pretty much - to be competing for wins from there.
“But that's the sprint. I'll do what I can tomorrow.”
Hamilton’s frustration is evident, as he remains keenly aware that his starting positions are a significant barrier to success. Despite his prowess in wheel-to-wheel combat, the Mercedes driver knows that even a strong car cannot overcome the deficits created in qualifying.
Looking ahead to Saturday night’s qualifying for the Grand Prix, Hamilton tempered expectations, suggesting that his struggles might persist.
"Not particularly, no," he said when asked if the reset would help. "I mean, the positive is that the car is fast, and George should be out to shoot for pole tomorrow."
Hamilton’s acknowledgment of Russell’s form highlights a stark contrast in fortunes within the Mercedes camp. While Russell has occasionally shown flashes of brilliance this season, Hamilton’s doubts about his own performance paint a picture of a driver grappling with an evolving field and his place within it.
For fans and analysts, his honesty raises questions about whether this is a temporary slump or a turning point in the career of one of F1’s greatest drivers.
As the lights go out for the Sprint and Grand Prix, all eyes will be on Hamilton to see if he can turn doubt into determination and reignite the spark that has made him a legend of the sport.
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